How to Grow Indoor Grass for House Rabbits



 

Hello, everyone and everybun!

Bunnies love fresh grass! You can buy grass at pet stores or even at grocery stores for your rabbit, however, they're usually not very affordable nor super fresh. I don't want to spend extra money on a tiny pot of grass, but I like to spoil my free-roam house rabbit, Cinnamon Bun. This is why I started growing grass indoors. I usually give it to her as a treat in addition to hay, fresh vegetables, and pellets, and she loves it! I keep it on top of a hay storage container where she can't reach, but she knows when grass is growing (probably because of the smell) and stands up trying to reach it. Then she sits in front of it staring at the growing grass that I'm not sure if she can even see!

 


What You Need to Grow Indoor Wheatgrass

 

Wheatgrass Seeds

I've only tried growing wheatgrass but you can probably grow different kind of grass, such as oat grass, with this method. I usually buy organic wheatgrass seeds on Amazon because I can't find anything good at local stores. I choose USDA organic and non-GMO products for my rabbit and myself as much as I can because I'm personally against the use of genetically modified organisms. In Japan, where I'm from, the manufactures are required to state if GMO is used in their products and Japanese people generally don't like the idea of eating GMO food, myself included. In the United States, most products contain GMO and I always buy USDA organic and non-GMO products whenever it's an option, including rabbit products. 

The wheatgrass that I usually buy is "POWER GROW Certified Organic NON-GMO Wheatgrass Seeds". It's 5LB and not super expensive; it lasts about a year for me. I grow every few months or more whenever I feel like starting a batch.  

Trays (x2) and Something to Put in Between them

I use litter boxes that I got at Dollar Tree. I've seen these at every Dollar Tree store I've been to, but you can use something similar if you can't find it. A lot of people use seed trays, but I like using Dollar Tree litter boxes because they're a dollar each and pretty sturdy! Also, they're the perfect size for a 5lb rabbit to comfortably fit but not too big in our small living space. 

One crucial thing you need to do is to make little holes in one of the litter boxes for drainage. I used to use just one litter box with no drainage but I found that it promotes mold! My husband made little drainage holes with a drill for me. If you're using seed trays, they might already have drainage holes.

For a spacer (to keep the tray with holes from fitting exactly inside the bottom tray without holes), I just use an old food container, but anything that will support the top tray will work.

A pot or container with a lid, and a strainer

I use a large pot to soak the seeds. If you don't have a lid, you can use plastic wrap or Aluminum foil to cover. A strainer makes it easy to rinse the seeds. 

Baking Soda

When I first started growing wheatgrass, my wheatgrass suffered from a lot of mold! I was supposed to keep them moist but I found out that wheatgrass or microgreens are susceptible to mold and white mushrooms. If I don't water them as much, they get too dry and unhealthy. I thought it would be simple growing grass!

So, I did some research and I read somewhere that I can use baking soda to minimize mold. Bleach is also commonly used to prevent mold, but I'm not comfortable using bleach for something my rabbit eats. I find baking soda very effective as mold prevention, I still occasionally get a little bit of mold but not as bad.

1-Gallon Water Bottle

I use a 1-gallon water bottle to create a baking soda solution to soak the seeds to prevent mold. To make a solution, you just need to add 1Tbsp of baking soda in a gallon of water and shake well to mix. I don't use the whole solution for a batch of wheatgrass so I just save the rest for future.

Spray Bottle

I use a spray bottle to water my wheatgrass to keep it moist but not soggy because sogginess promotes mold growth. I usually just use regular water, however, I spray the leftover baking powder solution if I notice mold. 

Potting Soil 

I've also used a raised bed soil but the result was the same. I've grown wheatgrass without soil, but I find that wheatgrass grown in soil gets bigger and healthier.

Newspaper or Flyers

I use a piece of newspaper or flyers to cover the wheatgrass to prevent the seeds from drying out in the first few days after planting the seeds in soil. I like to keep the paper moist, so I spray water on it few times a day. You can also use something else as a cover; I've seen people who grow their grass in seed trays using another seed tray as a cover.

 

Steps to Grow Wheatgrass for Your Bunny 

 

Step 1:

First, create a baking soda solution by adding 1 Tbsp of baking soda to a gallon of water. Shake it well to dissolve the baking soda. 

Step 2: 

Add wheatgrass seeds (I don't measure but I usually use a little less than a cup) in a pot, and add the baking soda solution so the seeds are completely submerged. Cover, and leave it for about 6 hours.

Step 3:

Drain water using a strainer, and put the seeds in the strainer over a pot so the pot catches water. Then cover and leave it. Rinse the seeds twice or three times a day, and repeat the process. 
Once the seeds germinate and starts to grow a fluffy white thing that looks a little bit like mold, usually day 3, they're ready to be planted.
*Don't put off planting the seeds, they grow fast and their roots start to grow through the holes of the strainer and gets difficult to remove them without ripping out the roots. Some people use a jar and don't leave the seeds on the strainer; I personally prefer my way but you might like using a jar better. 
 
Ready to plant.

 

Step 4:

Add about 1-1.5 inch of soil to the litter box with holes and put it on top of the other litter box with no holes, and sandwich a container between them so there is a space in-between. Spray water and wet the soil if the soil is dry. Then, transfer the seeds and spread them evenly on top of the soil. Spray the seeds generously with water . 

Step 5:

Cover the planted seeds with a piece of newspaper or flyers and spray water on top to moist the paper. Spray the seeds and the paper with water 2-5 times a day, and make sure they don't get too dry. Repeat, and remove the paper after few days. Keep spraying the seeds with water several times a day until the wheatgrass gets about 5-8 inches tall. 
 
Now it's time for your bunny to devour the fresh green grass!

Cinnamon Bun enjoying fresh grass.



Watch the video version on Cinnamon Bun's YouTube channel.

 

Thank you for reading our blog. Check out our other posts for more house rabbit content.🐰 

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